CBLT: Behind the Wall
by rcon11
Summary: When most people think of Conway, they think of the giant wall and defensive military. Conway is much more than that, a place of rich history and a past worth talking about. This selection offers a unique perspective, as you are a student at Polaris Battle Academy. You are taking a history class and are learning the history behind the city you call home.
1. First Contact

"Hey wake up!" he slammed your desk with his ruler. You are a student at Polaris Battle Academy in Conway, and you had just been caught sleeping in history class. "Hopefully I won't have to do that again" he said "now class as you may remember from the last time we went we were beginning to go over the Age of Change. This time period is when Viscount Allisont was in charge of Conway. Under her leadership Conway experienced a technological renaissance, thinks never before possible became possible. Allisont was a very curious person, who wanted to see beyond the frozen wastes. She was pressed to find the answer to the great question of the time, are we alone? Yes you"? A boy next to you had their hand raised and asked a question "what relevant material could we have left to go over? We already talked about all the technological changes from the time, what could be left"? "Excellent question" he replied "perhaps the greatest change in Conway happened in the latter portion of her rule. But it all begins when she makes first contact with people from the outside, and makes history, and forever makes Allisont one of the greatest Viscount in Conway history"!

The scene is the Royal Palace in Conway, but it is far larger than the one in the present. The snow is falling but not as vigorously, as it is the warm season. A woman was in the back yard with another man, he was in a lab robe. She was clad in leather armor and had short dark hair and aw warm complexion. "So these new flying machines will help us fend off the Nevermores?" she asked. "Yes Allisont" he said "they are much more full efficient and are equipped with better propellers for increased speed. And with the wealth of natural resources from the mountains, we can have a whole fleet of fighters ready within the decade". "Professor" said Allisont "may I ask you a favor"? "Of course Viscount" he said "anything"! "You know the stories right, how we got here?" she said "for many centuries our people have lived here, never knowing if any others are out there. I have always wondered is anybody lives beyond the fjords, beyond the frozen tundra. Would there be any way to build a flying machine that could reach beyond, to see whether or not we are alone"? "Well theoretically it is possible" he said "but you and I would probably not see it in our lifetimes. It would need to be powerful enough to get above the high altitude storms, have a huge fuel capacity, and a capability to land anywhere. But yes it could be done". "Once these new machines are finished, I want work started on something like that" she said "isn't it in the name of science to answer these questions? Are we really alone in this world"? "As you wish" he said "plans shall be made for a craft that can show us the world". The man walked out of the gates and left. "Still haven't lost that spark hmm?" somebody said. A man came down the steps and approached her. His name was Argon and he had dark skin, gray hair, and wore a mix of chain and plate armor. "I can't help myself" she said "I like to let my mind wander. That is how it was when I married you". "Clever" he said "but to be honest, what if we aren't alone"? "What do you mean?" she asked. "If we ever do get at least a peak" he said "would we like what we see"? "What do you mean?" she asked. "What if they are nothing like us?" he said "they could live differently, behave differently, and maybe even look differently"? "That may be true" she said "but I am holding out that regardless of who they are, that we can cooperate for the greater good". The two turned to see commotion at the front gate, a guards was talking with a soldier who was clearly out of breath. Allisont made her way to the gate with her husband behind her. "What is with the commotion?" she asked. "Viscount Allisont" he said "a small group was found outside the wall. They were escorted inside and are being held in one of the barracks". "A group of what?" she asked. "They are people but" he paused "they look strange. You have to see them for yourself". "What makes you think that it is safe for the Viscount to see them?" said one of the guards. "Never mind my safety" she said "soldier, take me to where they are being held". "Honey" said Argon "are you sure this is a good idea"? "I'll be fine" she said "I promise I will be back". Allisont left with the soldier, venturing towards an event that could change Conway forever.

The two finally arrived at the barracks, it was right up against the wall. The wall wasn't as high as it would be in the present day, it was only a mile high. The soldier lead Allisont over to one of the buildings used to house the garrison for this section of wall. Soldiers stood guard at the doors for the building. "They are being held in there" he said "allow me to escort you inside". He borrowed a carbine from another soldier and followed Allisont inside. Two soldiers were already inside watching the visitors. "We will take it from here" she said "leave us". The two soldiers left and Allisont and her escort were alone with the visitors. Allisont got a closer look and what she heard wasn't wrong, they did look quite strange. There were ten of them and they all had strange body parts, as they had body parts like tails and extra ears. The parts reminded her of animals, it was perplexing how they looked. Among the adults were even some children, who seemed to be in the worst shape. In addition to their odd features they were starving, looked quite weak, and looked scared. "Can any of you speak?" Allisont asked. There was a pause as the group was terrified, but one of the men had the courage to speak. "Yes" he said. "Good you can talk" she said "now what are you"? The group seemed surprised at the question, the man spoke up again "what do you mean"? "What are you?" she asked again "I have never seen people like you before". "And if we tell you will you let us go?" he asked. "If you answer all of my questions" she said "and I'll give you guys a meal too, how long has it been since your last meal, you guys look like you're starving". "Three weeks" said the man. Allisont was surprised and turned her escort "go outside and get something for these people to eat from the mess hall". "Yes Viscount" he ran outside. "Now back to my questions" she said "what are you"? "We are Faunus" he said "where are we"? "You are in Conway" said Allisont. "We thought nobody lived way out here" said one of the women. "Where are you from?" Allisont asked. "We are from" the man stopped mid-sentence "wait how are we supposed to know you won't just send us back"? "Back where?" Allisont asked. These Faunus people perplexed Allisont, why did they not want to go back, where they criminals? "What are you running from?" Allison asked "are you criminals"? "The only crime we committed is being different!" one of the teens shouted. His mother held him down as the boy was clearly frustrated. At that moment the soldier came back with some ration boxes from the mess and laid them out on the table, he also brought hot coffee to warm them up. The food was laid out before them, but they just simply stared at it. "Why are you helping us?" a woman asked. "I am Viscount Allisont of Conway" she replied "and this is my kingdom". "Never heard of it" said a man "how do we know this isn't some kind of trap"? "Soldier!" said Allisont "put your rifle on the floor and leave us"! "But Viscount?" he said. "That is an order!" she said. He dropped his gun and went outside. Allisont put the carbine on the table and slide it over to the Faunus. "That magazine is loaded and the safety is off" she said "you can shoot me and this all ends, or don't and we can learn from each other". The Faunus seemed to deliberate in whispers for a while until reluctantly one man picked up the rifle, and with his shaking hands he gave it to Allisont. "Thank you" she said "now what is your name sir"? "Don't have one miss" he said. "What kind of person doesn't have a name?" said Allisont. "I'm not a person" he said "I'm only property". "Property?" she said "what decides that a person should be property"? "These" he pointed to his long and rabbit-like ears. "But about where you came from?" she asked "doesn't everyone look like you"? "No miss" he said "there are humans in charge, they look like you. And then there are the Faunus; the slave labor". "What kind of horrible place is this?" she asked. "Vale" he answered. Allisont was silent while she digested this information. "Now to answer your earlier question" she said "I won't". "Hmm?" he said. "I will not send you back" she said "secondly, you guys get to live here for as long as you like. I will give homes, jobs, education; things that I think this "Vale" should have provided for you". "But wouldn't your people treat us the same way as Vale did?" said one of the women. "Nobody in the city has ever seen a Faunus before" she said "they won't see you any differently unless you give them a reason. And lastly, got any names you like? Cuz I need to know what to call you guys". The man that had done most of the speaking thought for a second "I like Adam". "Well Adam" she said "welcome to history".

Argon was lying alone in his bed, Allisont entered the bedroom in her nightgown and climbed into bed. "So" he said "how does it feel to make history"? "To be honest" she said "you were right, I didn't exactly enjoy what I heard about this Vale place. They enslave people for no good reason, and they are not very far away either". "But look at the bright side" he said "you didn't just write history, you saved their lives from that terrible situation. You gave them a fresh start with the lives they deserved". "Your right" she said "I just wish I could do more. They said there are hundreds more just like them in not just Vale, but all over the world. I just wish I could do something about all this". "What's stopping you?" he said "you will find a way, you roped me into marrying you right"? "Not like I gave you a choice" she joked "but yeah, I'll find way". "Glad to hear it" he said "now onto other business". "Can this wait until the morning?" Allisont asked. "I think we should talk about having a baby" he said. "How long have we been married?" she asked. "Three years" he said. "Here is the deal" she said "I can't do all this Faunus stuff with a baby in me, but when we catch a break". "Better than a no" he said "sure". "Okay" she said "now go the fuck to sleep".

"Moved by the plight of the Faunus Allisont was more than happy to accept them within Conway" said the teacher "this was also Conway's first impression of the outside would. While nowadays a culture that enslaves others based on race may seem barbaric, back then the concept of slavery in Conway had never before been though of or considered. Allisont may have been disgusted, but she was also confused as to how and idea like this came to be. For those of you who read the assigned reading last night, what did Viscount Allisont do following the arrival of the first Faunus, you in the back"? "Allisont founded several small outposts in the frozen wastelands around Conway" he said "these would be dedicated to guiding escaped Faunus to Conway". "Glad somebody read the book last night" he glares at you "and there was one more thing she did to help the Faunus, what did she do"? He glares at you waiting for an answer, but hope shines upon you. The girl in the deck next to you tilts her book in your direction, the answer becoming plain as day. "She was able to convince some Faunus to return to Vale to tell the people still there where they could run off to" you say "this allowed for more Faunus to escape to Conway". "Very good" he said in surprise "these Faunus bravely returned to their bondage to relay a message of a better life beyond Vale. Their heroics in some cases had them return to certain death at the hands of their masters for escaping or helping others escape. But over the course of twenty years Vale began to notice their workers were slowly disappearing, and began noticing that many were running to the frozen north. It was only a matter of time before they decided to figure out what was going on".

In the yard behind the royal palace of Conway, Allisont is sword fighting with a child who was around twelve years old. The boy was trying hard but eventually was disarmed and had Allisont's sword at his throat. "You are too aggressive" she said "you have to parry and block, not just thrust and swing". The boy had dark skin, dark hair, and wore a set of leather armor. "But mom you remember my ability" he said "I can shrug off blows no problem". "Well one day your ability won't be there to save you David" she said "you need to learn how to fight without it. And remember that your ability exhausts you? You can't rely on that or you will never have a fighting chance". "Yes mom" he said. "Don't worry kid" she said "in a year we are gonna take you down to the forge and build you a weapon". "Why can't I get one now?" he asked. "Because you have to be mature about it" she said "a weapon is more than a tool, it is an extension of your very being. Your weapon has to be you". "Can I see yours mom?" he asked "to get an idea"? "Fine" she shrugged "let me put it on". She took the sheath of the training sword and put on a belt holding two short swords. She drew them and they ignited, the swords split apart into flaming razor segments. In a quick second the blades retracted and she withdrew her weapons. "Thanks mom" he said. "You kids are so easily amused" she said "now how about you go see your friends. Mommy has some work to do". David ran off and Allisont made her way to the gate, where she met up with a soldier. "How are things at the wall?" she asked. "We had some new guns and equipment installed on the south wall" he said "we thought you would like to see the new toys". "That sounds nice" she said. "And also" he said "the chief engineer personally invited you to see it. He developed them himself". "Sure" she said "let's go".

Allisont was on the wall with the soldier surveying the new equipment. "The chief engineer will explain how this all works" he said. A Faunus made his way towards Allisont, his clip board in hand. "Good day to you Viscount" he said "I am Damian, the chief engineer. Some the equipment I will be showing you is of my own design". "You look quite familiar" she said. "I should" he said "my father was one of the first Faunus to arrive, you should remember Adam"? "You are Adam's kid" she said "how has your father been it has been quite some time". "He is of age now" he said "back in Vale he would have never lived this long. I invited you personally to thank you for what you have done for my family and my kind". "No problem" she said "it was the least I could do". "Now" he said "some of the new wall guns you see here have a greater range and rate of fire. Perfect for stopping Grimm charges and intrusive Nevermores, the shells can even deal significant damage to Wyverns and Goliaths". "Impressive" she said "now enough about these, I want to hear about your new toys". "Well thanks to the education I received in Conway" he said "I have learned how to build and develop new forms of radar and terra sonar. Follow me". He led her to an elevator shaft which brought them down to a bunker. "We plan to have facilities like these installed across the wall" he said "I was able to improve on the existing radar to allow for faster scanning pulses, but this next piece is on hundred percent, my work. Under the wall and in the "no man's land" beyond I have several receiving rods that are ultra-sensitive to any movement. If something is detected moving across the surface, or even below; it sends a signal to all facilities like these across the wall". "Excuse me" a soldier got in between them "we have a situation". "What seems to be the issue?" Allisont asked. "We have a few readings on the seismic sonar" he said "but they are not Grimm". "Are the more Faunus?" Allisont asked. "None of the forward bases radioed ahead" he said "any Faunus making their way here would have made contact with one of the outposts first". "How far out are they?" Allisont asked. "Three kilometers" said the operator "should we tell the wall guns to engage"? "Negative" said Allisont "it could be some Faunus that missed the outposts on the way. Get me a convoy and take me out to meet them". "But Viscount, what if it's a Grimm?" said the operator. "Then I kill it" she said "get wheels on the ground in five minutes".

Allisont had set up a convoy of three APCs to drive out to the location. The signature was out in the middle of "no man's land", a barren wasteland filled with craters left over from repulsed Grimm attacks. It was a full on blizzard, so Allisont had to ID the signal source and fast. "How much longer till we reach the coordinates?" she asked. "Five minutes" said the driver "we will stop a few meters away and offload you and the troops. We will drive up behind you as cover". "Hey Allisont are you there?" somebody called over the radio "we have an update on the signature". "What is it?" she asked. "After closer inspection we have found the signature is actually two entities. We recommend extreme caution and the wall gunners have been alerted, they are at your command". "Thank you" she said "we will check back soon". The doors opened and the troops unloaded onto the snow covered ground. "You know the mission" she said "find and identify the phantom signature. If anything goes wrong you shoot to kill, let's move". The soldiers followed Allisont and the trucks slowly followed behind. The blizzard had made things almost a virtual white out, they could only see a few yards ahead of them and had to rely on IR scans from the trucks behind them. A driver called out over the radio "we have visual". "What do you see?" Allisont asked. "The IR shows two trucks, they seemed to have bogged down in the snow" she said "we also see several human forms, they are not Faunus. They also seem to be armed, proceed with caution". "We copy" she said "tell the other trucks to hang back while we approach. The rest of us will approach the trucks, crawl through the snow. When I call over the radio we will all rush in and surround, we take no risks". They all crouched and slowly approached the area, slowly but surely the trucks came into view. The soldiers began to split up to surround the trucks while they approached. Allisont hit the ground and rubbed snow over her armor, trying to get it stuck on the use it as camouflage. She slowly approached the trucks and started to see the humans, she could hear them talking. "The engine is frozen" said a voice "we can't get it started again". "We are gonna freeze to death out here" said another. "Maybe that's what happened?" said one "they just simply died out here". "They wouldn't come out here just to die!" said another "get the engine running so we can get moving so we do not freeze"! Allisont ducked down and used her radio. "1, 2, 3; MOVE MOVE MOVE!" she yelled. Soldiers rose from the snow and the APCS came up from behind and the top guns aimed down. The unknown soldiers aimed in defense. "Identify yourselves!" they said. "Under whose authority!" said a Conway soldier "you are on our land! You identify yourselves"! "Your land?" he replied "this land is unclaimed by any of the major kingdoms. Which kingdom do you serve"? "Conway" said Allisont. "The hell is Conway?" he said. "The kingdom who has claimed this land for centuries" said Allisont "now I suggest you stand down so this all ends in everyone's favor". The unknown soldiers looked at each other and stood down and withdrew their weapons. "Now isn't that better" said Allison as she approached "now how about we hook up your trucks to ours and take you back to Conway". "Sounds agreeable enough" said the soldier in charge "lead the way".

Allisont had pulled the soldiers inside the wall and dropped them off at one of the barracks. "This is a reserve barracks for the 45th armored battalion" she said "they will share the base with you while we repair your trucks". "Thank you very much miss" said one of the soldiers "I am Lieutenant Burns of the 23rd expeditionary force. Now this is quite an interesting kingdom here" he said "we never knew anybody even lived out here". "We have been here since humanity won the world from the Grimm" she said "we have thrived here since". "Now Conway sounded quite familiar" said Burns "there is a myth we had back home, of a group of warriors who traveled the world righting wrongs and fighting evil. Until one day long ago they vanished, they were called Conways; are you the same"? "Well if the shoe fits" she said "I mean we didn't even know anybody else was even alive beyond our walls to fairly recently". "Recently you say?" he said "I hope I am not a bother miss, but I need a favor". "I don't see why not" she said "what do you need". "Could I get an audience with your King?" he asked 'it is very important to our mission, and I must speak to him". "Um" she said "what is a king"? "You lord" he said "the man who is in charge of your kingdom". "Well I don't know about any man in charge" she said "but if you are looking for the person in charge, you are not very far off". "I beg your pardon?" he seemed confused. "I am Viscount Allisont Conway, and if you are looking for whoever is in charge; then you found her". "Well this society of yours is definitely, strange" he said. "What do you need to know?" she asked. "Recently some of the property of my kingdom went missing in this area" he said "we were hoping to find it and then bring it back where it belongs. Would you happen to know anything"? "If anybody finds anything strange here I am the first to know, so unfortunately I have nothing of use to you" she said "but you are welcome to stay as long as you need too". "We thank you for your hospitality" he said "the kingdom of Vale thanks you".

"They said they are from Vale?" said Argon. "The same place Adam and the others came from all those years ago" said Allisont. The two were eating dinner together at the palace, David was absent as he was out with friends. "From what you have told me it seems like they are not here for the Faunus" he said "he said the kingdom lost some property right? As soon as they find it then they will leave". "I hope you are right" she said. In the room barged Shogun Arthur Mansolillo. "Forgive my intrusion my Viscount" he said "but this is important". "What is going on?" Argon asked. "It is about the visitors" he said "there was an altercation down at the barracks and the group is being detained. Mr. Burn was brought up here to help explain the situation, he is out in the yard". "What happened?" she asked. "The mechanics of the 45th didn't fully understand the configuration of their trucks" he said "so chief engineer Damian and his team was brought in to see if he could get them working again. The moment he and his team set foot in the base Burns and his men attempted to arrest Damian, some of his engineers, and some of the soldiers arriving on the base. All of those they selected were Faunus". "Bring him in" she said "I want an explanation". "As you wish" said Arthur, he went to the window and gestured outside. On que two Faunus soldiers dragged him inside the palace, he had cuts and bruises all over his face. "What happened to him?" Allisont asked. "Collateral damage" said one of the soldiers, coming off almost sarcastically. "Unhand me you animals!" Burns yelled. "Release him" said Allisont. The Faunus dropped Burns and unbound him. "Well I guess I know where the animals went when they got out of their cages" he said. "Silence" said Allisont "you were here for the Faunus weren't you"! "They are the property of Vale and must be returned!" said Burns. "People are not property" she said "it doesn't make sense what you people have done to them". "Our economy relies on the Faunus labor" he said "if they will not work then who will"? "Why don't you do it then?" she said "rely on yourself, not the baseless enslavement of others". "With all due respect miss" said a Faunus soldier "but I know how these people think. They are set in their ways, there is no hope changing them". "Perhaps you are right" said Allisont "now I will ask a few things of you. One, we will fix your trucks and you will leave with the same amount of people as when you arrived. Second, any more Faunus who come here get to stay. And thirdly, you and the rest of Vale are forbidden from ever setting foot in Conway until you correct your mistake. Do I make myself clear"? "You are making a mistake" said Burns "animals are meant to be tamed". "So I see" said Allisont "detain his group until the trucks are fixed, then send them on their way". "Yes Allisont" said Arthur "you heard her"! The soldiers rebound Burns and dragged him out of the palace.

"And so Burns and his troops were forced out of Conway" the professor said "and as far as Allisont was concerned, that was the end of foreign interference in Conway, yes you"? Someone off to the right had raised their hand "why did she let them live? She could have just killed Burns and his troops". "Allisont knew the meaning behind first contact, this was Vale's first impression of Conway" the professor replied "if she just killed them outright than she feared that Vale would see Conway as a bunch of violent and bloodthirsty killers. She also may have wanted to foster good relations with Vale, so she can campaign there for Faunus equal rights. It could of been for a number of reasons but we may never know truly why". The bell rang and everyone began to get up and leave, but the professor had one last thing to say. "There will be no homework tonight" he said "but tomorrow is the last day before vacation, so we will finish the Age of Change them. You are dismissed".


	2. The Fall

You and your fellow students had begun to file into the classroom, the professor was drinking a tall mug of coffee. You took your seat and put your book on your desk. "Welcome back class" he said "glad to see you all came to class awake. Today we will be going over the later part of Allisont's reign. We left off after Allisont kicked the Vale expedition out of Conway. Unfortunately this set of a chain of events that would eventually lead to the historical period of Conway called The Fall. While this all did take place centuries ago, their effects are still felt today in the politics between Conway and Vale". You open the book to the right page, and listened to the professor's lecture.

It was about a month since Burns and his troops were forced out of Conway. Allisont was on her way to meat Damien who was working at a top secret lab by the wall. The guards acknowledged her at the door and let her inside. The building was small on the surface but one could reach the bunker bellow by elevator, it was once a bunker for Grimm attacks but now it was used to research the Vale technology that was taken from Burns when he arrived. Once she reached Damian's lab she found him bending over a disassembled rifle, taking notes on his notepad. "How is it going Damien?" she asked. "A little stressed" he said "we have the best engineers, scientists, even tinkerers looking at some of the tech we got from Burns. And even then, we are still working to understand how this tech works. It is all very different then what we are used too". "How so?" she asked. "We had a gunsmith take a look at some of the confiscated rifles, most of them were equipped with this model here" he said "they stripped it down, and analyzed the pieces. They found it was very advanced, more so then ours. One of them even brought one of the other rifles out for a fire test with one of ours and found that Burns' rifles were much more effective than ours. And that is just the beginning". "How so?" she asked. "Come over here" he said. He led her over to another table which had a helmet and a backpack. "This helmet comes equipped with a radio built in" he said "now you know how our radios need to be carried separate and are short range, unless a signal amplifier is nearby. Will also being more ergonomic, the backpack has the amplifier built in. We also analyzed some of the parts from the trucks and found that they are far more fuel efficient than any of our engines". "What are you saying?" said Allisont. "What I am saying is that Vale's technology is far more advanced than anything we have" he said. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked. "You did something every Faunus was afraid you would do, you stood up to Vale" he said "they will not take this transgression lightly". "I did the right thing though" she said "I stood up for us, for you. They have no right to do what they do". "Whether or not they have a right is unfortunately irrelevant" he said "we are so backwards compared to them, and they want us back". "I will find a way" she said. "I wish you luck" he said "because you are going to need it". A siren whirred and troops rushed into the room. "Viscount Allisont!" he said "several unidentified aircraft have been sighted on their way here, they are decorated with the same insignia as Burns' trucks. We recommend you get to the safe room". "The hell I am" she said "let me up there this instant, I gave that bastard a fair warning"! "As you wish Viscount" he said "follow me".

Allisont rushed outside to see three odd flying craft. They had large propellers on top which allowed them to hover above the ground, they were fairly large. Two of them landed, out of one came a single man dressed quite formally, the other offloaded more than two dozen troops. "I am looking for one, Allisont Conway!" said the man. "The hell do you want?" she replied. "When Burns told me about this place needless to say I was, skeptical; but he was right your society is quite odd". "Enough of the small talk!" she said "I told him that if any of you stepped foot here that I wouldn't hesitate to kill you". "And I have come here for my property" he said. "What makes you thinks they will go willingly?" she said. "They don't have a choice, they never have" he said "they are simply animals meant to be tamed, leashed; give them the same opportunities humanity gets and what could happen". "Look around you twenty years later" said Allisont "that's what happened". "In due time" he said "think of it like this, I am going to save you from your idiotic, brazen, and probably estrogen fueled decision". "What the heck does that mean?" she said "this is my kingdom and my family has ruled it for generations. And you are in no positions to criticize me, Mr. Faunus aren't people". "I am going to leave you with the opportunity to atone for your crimes" he said "You can allow us to take the Faunus now, and then everything goes back to normal. Or you can keep them, and we can settle this through war". Allisont remembered what Damian said, if there was war there would be no hope for victory. "This is all quite sudden" she said "I will need time to think about this". "In that case" he said "I will leave one of my craft behind so you can reach Vale whenever you come around, you have a week to make a decision". The man got in the same craft that the soldiers came in and they all left, leaving one empty craft behind. Allisont turned around and saw that many people had come out of their homes to see what the commotion was about, many of them were very concerned. "Nothing more to see!" she said "go back inside and back to whatever you were doing. I will deal with this". People went back inside and Allisont went to address her company. "I need somebody to send to Vale" she said "they need to stall for as long as possible while we gather strength". "With all due respect we cannot win" said Damian "they are far to advanced, we will be run over". "Damien please" she said "I know what I am doing. Somebody get me Francis Cotrone, he will be our representative"! "Yes ma'am" a soldier ran off. "Damian" she said "get your family and come with me, I have a plan".

Allisont ran into the situation room, people were running all over the place, Allisont confronted Damien. "What the heck is going on?" she asked. "Several of our outposts for receiving Faunus have been taken offline" he said "the odd part is that there is a pattern, almost like they were being pushed aside. Something is heading towards Conway, something big". "So Francis failed then" she said "they are coming for us". "I fear so" he said. Allisont made her way out. "Allisont!" he said "what will you do"? "Defend my people is what" she said "and remember what I told you, do it to the letter". "Yes Viscount" he said "it has been an honor to serve you".

Allisont had gathered as many people as she could into the grand hall. The place was packed with people, and cameras were there to broadcast to the homes of everyone who could not attend. Allisont stood at the podium, ready to address her people. "Attention people of Conway!" she said "for millennia we have lived here in peace, not knowing how the world was progressing in our absence. Recently we learned of the horror that goes on beyond our borders, and we were asked to join it. I refused to participate in this senseless ritual of oppression and subjugation, and they didn't take to kindly to that. They are on their way to Conway with an army, they believe this will be an easy victory. I say lets prove them wrong! This is our land, our people, our rules, and our beliefs! And I REFUSE to let them change it! Together we will stand in the defense of our great kingdom, or die trying! Join me on the field and together we shall triumph"! The crowd cheered and the Viscount received a standing ovation as people across Conway sounded off on their support. "Everyone man your stations!" she said "let's send those bigots screaming back to hell"!

Allisont trudged forward at the tip of the spear, leading a sizable platoon about a kilometer ahead of the main force. The group around her was the best warriors Conway had to offer, although they were trained to fight Grimm they were more than willing to fight a more modern army. Ahead of them the blizzard had begun to clear up, they saw a large group about three kilometers away. "Hold!" she said over the comms "everyone set up and get ready"! The rear line caught up and helped to set up defenses. The group ahead of them slowly came closer and closer, Allisont began to pick out individual shapes in the mass. She saw soldiers dressed in an unusual fashion, they were all dressed in the same uniform rather than having their own individual and unique equipment. She saw trucks like the one Burns had, and other odd machines of war that she had never seen before. The group advanced until they spread out, a wall of soldiers and steel slowly approached. They were almost half a kilometer away at this point. Allisont separated herself and walked towards the advancing army, she stopped about a yard away from her force. A small group from the opposing army broke off and made their way towards Allisont. "Hold your fire until I say" she said over the radio. The truck stopped midway between the two armies. Allisont walked towards the truck to find a familiar face. "Well hello Allisont" said Burns "I have to say, I should be thanking you and your backwards kingdom. I got a promotion when I returned, they call me a hero". "Hero is a subjective term" said Allisont. "And now here I am" he said "leading the army, which is going to kill you. Which won't be too hard; but try to fight like a man okay"? "What do you mean fight like a man?" she said "has all those comments been about because I am a woman"? "Oh look a bitch who finally gets it" he said "now how about you make your first smart decision and surrender". "Let me show something about our women" she took out her radio "send them up here". A of about four dozen women joined Allisont in front of Burns, all of their faces were covered. "What is this a harem?" he joked "an offer of peace with these pieces"? "Show him" she said. The women seemed to undergo some sort of transformation. Their skin turned blue and frost grew on their armor. "What is this, some sort of magic trick?" he said. Their arms rose to the sky and the snow storm seemed to be sucked into the sky, after that all hell broke loose. Huge shards of ice rained down upon the Vale army, cutting soldiers to pieces and lodging into vehicles. Burns looked on in horror as murder rained from the sky. "You bitch" he said "I'll kill you"! He reached for his sidearm but in an instant a chain of blades shot through him. They then retracted, cutting back towards Allisont's handle; Burns was dead before he hit the ground. "Iceborn lead the way!" she said "let's go"! The army behind her took advantage of the chaos and charged the Vale position, bombarding them with artillery. Allisont led the charge towards the Vale line, as the distance closed she saw fear in the eyes of the opposing army. They seemed ill prepared for the close quarters fighting that the Conways were trained for, they seemed afraid and confused. Allisont ignited her blades and started picking out targets, she was being shot at but her aura deflected most of the bullets. She took a second to look around and saw her force advancing, but they were paying in blood for every foot. "Do not relent!" she shouted "show them that Conway shall never kneel"! Allisont saw Conway fighters in the air, joining the fight and strafing the Vale army. Machines like those that landed in Conway days earlier, some were dropping off more troops, others were shooting at her soldiers below. One of them strafed the area around her, cutting down soldiers in a hail of fire. In a fit of rage Allisont's chains wrapped around the machine and tried to pull it down. It pulled back, a seemingly endless tug of war. Allisont could feel it lifting her up bit by bit, so she activated her semblance and increased her weight. With one swift pull of her weapons the machine came crashing down to earth. The Vale troops were in full retreat, they may have had the technology but they did not have the will to fight. Embracing victory the Conway soldiers cheered in triumph. "Run back your masters!" Allisont yelled "tell them we are not afraid"! Soldiers embraced each other, Faunus and Human alike came together to celebrate their continued freedom. Allisont stood atop the wreckage of one of the war machines. "I would like to congratulate you all" she said "you all stood together and fought for our kingdom, you couldn't have made me more grateful. Today will forever be burned into our history as a day when unity and acceptance won against tyranny and prejudice. Once we return to Conway we shall have a great celebration in your hon-". Allisont was interrupted as an explosion erupted in the sky, one Conway fighter came crashing down nearby. Several more exploded outright in the sky. Allisont was shocked as strange and sleek looking fighters shot by at speeds leagues ahead anything Conway had in the air, but that wasn't all. Allisont looked towards the horizon and in front of the setting sun, was a wall of machines and men much larger than the force that they had just dealt with. She saw these machines fire an endless barrage of rockets and artillery. Explosions ripped into the Conway line, people exploded all around Allisont in a brutality she had never before seen. Allisont reached for her wrist, but before she could do anything an explosion threw her into the air and she lost consciousness.

Allisont awoke on a cold concrete floor. She was in extreme amounts of pain, the only medical attention she got was some blood stained bandages across her body. Her outfit had changed, she was now dressed in a torn, filthy, and uncomfortable brown jumpsuit. She had found she was behind bars in some sort of cell. The walls were made of solid concreate and lacked any windows. The cell wreaked of blood and urine. She could hear yelling and moaning coming from outside her cell. An armed soldier tugging a cart stopped in front of her cell and pushed a tray under her cell door. "Meal time" he said "come get it". "Wait don't go!" she said "where am I"? "What is the matter lady?" he snickered "they don't have prisons where you come from"? "I am politely asking you to release me at once" she said "do you know who I am"? "Yes I do sweet heart" he said "and frankly if I had a say in this, I would put a bullet through your brain. But apparently they have a plan for you or something". The soldier rolled off and left Allisont to take stock of the situation. She was clearly knocked out during the battle and was dragged back to this prison place, was then given amateurish medical care and is now being forcibly detained. She limped over to the bars and looked out into the hall, she was not alone in this building. She saw other hands hanging out beyond the bars, she also saw one Faunus dragged from their cell and be savagely beaten by one of the soldiers on hand. She knew she had to get out one way or another, so she grabbed the door and pulled. The door was rooted into the wall, floor, and ceiling. Allisont cranked up her semblance to increase her weight and attempted to pull the door towards the floor, rather than towards her. She could hear the door shaking as Allisont put more and more energy into it, but the more energy she put in the more pain she felt internally. Eventually her body gave out and she dropped to the floor, she felt her nose begin to drip blood. A guard ran over to see what the commotion was about. "Couldn't help fighting back huh?" he joked "somebody is here to see you". A man in officer fatigues came up to her cell, he was decorated with medals. "And you are?" Allisont didn't bother to stand up. "General Winchester" he said "and I guess you have some questions regarding your situation". "So you just walked by them beating that Faunus then?" she said. "He was actually caught trying to run away to YOUR backwards kingdom" he said "his family was sent back to their respective estate and he was brought back here to be made an example out of". "You people are monsters" she said. "Well onto business than" he said "first of all as we speak Conway is being invaded by our armies, it is only a matter of time before either your kingdom surrenders or is reduced to ashes". "I won't surrender" she said. "You have made enough bad decisions" he said "that choice will be left up to your husband". "And what makes you think he won't side with me?" she asked. "Which brings me to my next subject" he said "you have been found of at least a thousand counts of property theft, Faunus liberation, and attacking without a declaration of war. For these crimes you have been sentenced to death". "This is ridiculous" she said "when was my trial, where was my defense"? "A trial was deemed unnecessary and seen as a waste of time" he said "your execution will be in a few days, I suggest you deal with your demons before your demise". "Hey hold on!" she shot up as he walked away "this isn't right, you can't do this"! Her cries fell on deaf ears are General Winchester strolled off.

Allisont was chained to the floor of an iron cage on wheels, pulled by a mule down the street. People had come out in droves to watch her be dragged to her fate. Before she was chained, they had injected a sort of muscle relaxant so she would be too weak to break free. People shout boos and jeers as she rolled down the street. People chucked garbage at her, and the person coaxing the mule did nothing to protect her. "Beast lover!" she heard one call out. "Zoophiliac!" yelled another. She was especially hurt when she heard children chanting racial slurs along with their parents. She found this place disgusting in all manners of the word, and all she could think about was what Argon asked her years before "Would you even like what you see"? The cart rolled to a stop and the cage opened, Allisont was shoved onto a platform. They placed her over a trapdoor that would drop at the pull of a lever. A rope was wrapped around her neck, the knot tightened until she could barely breathe. She looked for a way out and saw Argon and David in the crowd, but her hopes of rescue were quickly dashed. They were in chains and surrounded by guards, they were being forced to watch. General Winchester walked up to a podium and turned on the mic, everyone went silent to listen. "Today marks a great day in our history" he said "the savage lands of Conway now fall under our flag, and our Faunus workers will be returning to their places of work; where they belong". The crowd cheered for him, and for the notion that their "labor force" would return. "But now what?" he said "this new land and its people resent us, see us as disgusting and stupid. They want nothing more than the destruction of our great kingdom, so we must set an example. To dissuade others from following the same path". "He is lying to you!" Allisont cried out "we never wanted to destroy you"! But her cries were drowned in the cheering of the crown. The general simply looked at her and grinned, then he returned his gaze to the crowd. "Before us is their leader" he said "the one responsible for the vanishing of our workers, and for this war. And she never even sent a diplomat to reason things out". "Please listen!" she yelled "he is lying to you! I never wanted this"! Once again her pleas for leniency were drowned in the boos and jeers of the crowd. "This is Allisont Conway, pretty thing isn't she" he said "it is a real shame that she turned out to be such a criminal. The theft of the Faunus was an act of war on its own, and yet you still believe you did nothing wrong. You shall pay today for your crimes, and made an example of for all the others who still wish to carry on this pointless fight. A leader should act in the interest of her people, not these savage beasts of burden. Now here we are, any last words before I send you down"? "A few" she said "for you, and your retched city. Maybe not now, or soon, or even in our lifetimes; but here this. One day my people will have their revenge. We shall have our liberation, but not just for us. This freedom will also be for those you keep in bondage, for them and their ancestors to live free. Hear me now; blood will be spilled for the blood we lost". "Well that is enough out of you" he said "now let's get started shall we"? He made his way to the lever and waved to the crowd. The spectators began to count down from ten slowly making its way down. Allisont felt something never before felt by a Viscount, fear. She feared death, she feared the afterlife, she feared losing her family; she shut her eyes in fear of the inevitable. "Five, four, three, two, one!" they counted. Nothing happened, Allisont took a peek at the crowd and found them too to be confused. She turned to Winchester, who simply grinned. The floor gave way and with a loud snap, Allisont Conway was no more.

An eerie silence gripped the small room, Argon sat at one end of the table and Winchester in the other. "So glad you came around" said Winchester "I knew you would have made the right call; unlike your wife". "Not like you gave me much of a choice" Argon replied "and you have no right to speak of Allisont like that". "Well Mr. Conway you should be thanking me; a man should be the king of his castle" he said "besides, what girl wouldn't want to lay in the bed of the Viscount of Conway"? "It's Carthy actually; Argon Carthy" he said "I married into the royal family. And I am not the Viscount of Conway or ever will be, that honor goes to the family". "What kind of kingdom puts all of their power is one woman?" he said "doesn't make sense"? "What is so hard for you to understand?" said Argon "we were equals. I was the count and she was the Viscount. We ruled in tandem with each other's council. The decision to go to war was as much my decision as hers". "Well we are going to fix that tonight" said Winchester as he slid over a packet of important documents. "What is this?" Argon asked. "Idiots" he said "they are the terms of your surrender! Once you sign on the dotted line, Conway will belong to Vale. And when you join us you will have to abide by certain rules, which are listed in the terms". An attendant bursted into the room, clearly sweating and stressed. "What is it?" said Winchester. "Sir it's about the agreement" he said "about bringing the Faunus and their families back to Vale". "That is why he turned over the census!" said Winchester "so we know exactly how many Faunus there are in that blasted city". "There is a little problem" he said "they let them marry". "Well so what?" said Winchester "animals need to hump in the grass and make their litters, Faunus are no different. What is so difficult to understand"? "You don't understand" he said "he let them marry other humans. We have families in here with a Faunus parent and a Human parent. Even Faunus parents with adopted human children, and vice versa"! "What is the meaning of this?" Winchester screamed. "We saw nothing wrong with it" said Argon "it is not in a leader's right to choose who somebody is allowed to love. If they wanted to marry then we let them marry". Winchester was visibly furious while the attendant was shaking in his boots. "Get me a pen!" said Winchester. The attendant handed Winchester his pen, the general began to write on the surrender agreement. "If you are going to lay with animals, then you will be treated as animals!" Winchester slammed the stack of papers onto the table. "Let me give you the highlights" he said "and do not interrupt me or your boy in the other room gets a new hole to breathe out of"! Argon sat silently as the general picked the papers back up. "A secret police must be placed within Conway to monitor suspicious activity. The inheritance of power prioritizes it to be bequeathed to the first born son of royal blood; so no more of those crazy witches on that throne. All Faunus MUST be returned to Vale and to any other kingdom that they have been stolen from. Vale gets exclusive mining rights to the mountains in the Conway region. The Viscount still holds power, but must always answer to the Vale government; otherwise they shall be deposed or executed. And now for my little addendum; any human that is the spouse, child, or parent of any Faunus that is being deported are now also owned by the kingdom of Vale. Now sign so I can go home". "You can't just add that in!" said Argon "it's asinine"! "Well I just did" he said "and who is gonna stop me; you"? Argon was at a crossroads, a choice between either the destruction of his people, or their enslavement. He reluctantly made his choice; Argon Carthy Conway was written on the dotted line.

The royal palace was looted and destroyed by the time Argon and David returned. Faunus and humans alike were being pulled from their homes in droves. A home recently emptied reluctantly became the home of what was left of the royal family. Argon was alone with his thoughts, David had taken the couch downstairs. The room was lonely and quite, the only noises were the crying in the streets, and the crackling fires lit outside to keep the homeless warm. Argon was lost, he was alone in a world that is now being changed by another. He warned her all those years ago, but her curious spirit had become her downfall. He had asked for Allisont's body to be transported to Conway for burial, but he knew it was hopeless. He wanted it all to end, he wasn't anything without Allisont. He was on the verge of giving up, leaving David all alone and embracing his one true love for eternity; but fate had other plans. There was a loud banging on the door, and Argon rose to answer it. When he opened the door he was greeted by a man in a dark cloak, in his hand was a similar rag. "Put this on and follow me" he said. Argon obeyed and put the cloak one and followed the man. The man went into an alley in between two houses. He removed a slab of cobblestone from the road to reveal a handle. He pulled it to reveal it was a large metal bulkhead with cobblestone cemented onto the door. "Inside quickly" he said, and Argon went inside. The bulkhead closed behind them and they followed a narrow tunnel. "I don't remember their being any bunkers down here" said Argon. "There isn't" the stranger replied "a small system of emergency bunkers was built many decades ago in case the city was overrun with Grimm. They never saw use and were eventually forgotten, about a decade ago Allisont reactivated them". The tunnel lead to a tram station, the two then boarded a tram that had just arrived. There were other people onboard as well, all of them were hooded and cloaked. "But why?" Argon asked. "Allisont listened to the stories from the Faunus, they told her what may happen is Vale ever found Conway" he said "so secretly, she reactivated the bunker. Only a few of her closest confidants knew of this". "She would have told me" said Argon "I was her husband". "Allisont knew Conway would have not won the war, and that she would likely face punishment for what she did" he said "so in order to protect you until the time comes she left you in the dark, and now you know". The tram stopped and everyone got out. "Where are we?" Argon asked. "The Vault" said the stranger. The place was massive; makeshift homes were dug into the bedrock walls, there was a massive underground farm which grew tubers, and lab entrances dotted around several of the walls. But the most impressive was the giant screen mounted on one of the far walls. "Attention everyone" said somebody on an intercom "please direct your attention to the screen on the far wall for the address by Viscount Allisont. Please try to quiet down for the address please". The whole bunker became silent as the screen flashed to life and Allisont's face hogged the whole screen. "Hello everyone" she said "if you are seeing this; then I am dead, and we lost. I know many of you may feel that all hope is lost, that we have been beaten; you are wrong. Inside this bunker is the last hope for redemption for Conway and emancipation for the Faunus. You have all been selected for you skills, your abilities to lead, your knowledge, your strength, and for some of you, by pure luck. You are Conway's best and brightest, our last chance for victory. This place is a guarantee that maybe, someday and somehow we can have our retribution. This place does not exist, and neither do you. Vale will never find you here and for many of you, you may never leave. Maybe not in our lifetime, but someday your ancestors will finally beat Vale, and your names shall be their battle cry because you gave them the hope to succeed. Trying times will be upon you, many of you will never see your friends and family ever again. Try to remember that you are here fighting for them, fighting so we can break free. I may not be with you anymore, but the strength to carry on is within all of you. You are the Midnight Hands; those working in silence for our emancipation. Now reveal to your compatriots who you really are, pull back the vail and prove that this is a cause worth fighting for"! All around Argon the hoods came down, human and Faunus alike stood together for Allisont's master plan. He found that the man who guided him down was Arthur Mansolillo. "I know that I have left Conway is capable hands" she said "and that you shall all persevere. Good luck my brothers and sisters; and may the light guide our hands". The crowd erupted in cheers as Allisont faded out. The screen now had a list of things to do; settle in, get your employment ID, and find your work places. Argon was in tears when Arthur asked him to follow again, this time taking him to a lab. Damien greeted Argon at the door, the place was filled with broken tech, vehicle parts, and weapons. "What is all this?" Argon asked. "Debris Vale left behind" Damien replied "our plan is to study, reverse engineer, and improve on the Vale technology. So hopefully someday, we can reclaim our freedom you gave us". "How long?" Argon asked. "We are very far behind" he said "could be years or decades, maybe even centuries until we can catch up. Until that time comes people will be working in secret here to not match, but surpass Vale". "She thought this whole thing through huh?" said Argon. "Right until the end" said Damien, handing over a video tape "I'll leave you alone to watch this". Damien and Arthur left Argon alone in a small room with a tape player hooked up to a television. He inserted the tape into the player and turned the TV on; Allisont popped onto the screen. "Hey Argon" she said "if you are seeing this, than the worst has come to pass. I am now dead; and the war is lost. I know you feel as though there is no hope, but please. You have a future to protect and what they show you today is proof, that this is only the beginning. Vale believes you are beaten and broken, this is their greatest mistake. We can wait until our decedents find a way to reclaim what we lost. I am here to tell you to carry on this fight, as you will tell David to carry on; and he will tell his children to carry on. The war hasn't been lost, rather it has reached a stalemate. Take care Argon; may the light guide you". The video cut out and the tape was forcibly ejected from the player, the strands of film were a tangled mess. Argon exited the room and brushed past Arthur and Damien to look upon Conway's last hope; this fight was far from over.

"And so Conway was conquered by Vale and the Age of Change came to an end, leaving Conway bitter and defeated. A little bonus fact; Allisont's remains were never returned to Conway for burial. Her remains are now on display in a museum exhibit in Vale, and they refuse to return her to us as she is considered "cultural property". Sorry for going off topic" the professor said "but as far as Conway was concerned, the fight was not yet over, as the Midnight Hands would carry on the fight in secret. They plotted in secret for centuries until their dream was finally realized; but that will be taught during another lesson. Any further questions"? A Faunus up front raised his hand "you mentioned something about Iceborn, who were they"? "The Iceborn were an ancient warrior class that vanished after the Age of Change" he replied "many texts at the time were destroyed by the invading soldiers. All we know was that they were extremely skilled, powerful, and their ranks were made up entirely of women. Any further questions"? Before anyone could raise their hands the bell rang and students began to get up. "Sit back down we are not done!" he said "next week we are going to be one vacation so that means no classes. I want all of you to read the whole textbook section on the Dark Ages. Be sure to read up on it because on the day we come back there will be a quiz. NOW you can leave". Everyone got back up and made their way out and like yourself, were all ready for their week off.


	3. The Revenge

The break was over and it was time for you to return to Polaris for classes. You walk into history class and take your seat. Your professor stands at his desk taking down attendance as student's file in. Once everyone had sat down he got up and turn off the lights and activated the projector. "Okay students" he said "I hope you remembered to read about the Dark Ages, but unfortunately I forgot to bring the quiz. So instead we will begin talking about the Servant's Rebellion. I do not wish to waste both my time and yours so let's get right in".

The scene is within the new Conway royal palace, which looks much like the one in Conway today. Two men were in an office of sorts, one sat behind a desk while another sat across from it. "With this agreement this company will get mining rights in the mountains" said the man across "this new company will take off with all the dust they will have access to, more jobs will be created in Vale". "Glad to hear it" said the man behind it "fantastic". "Something wrong Garen?" the man asked "you seem troubled"? "Oh nothing" he said "just this whole thing. When the depression hit Vale, Conway was hit pretty hard too; these mines will create more jobs for Conways". "Forgive me Garen" said the man "but the Schnee Dust Company has elected to use Faunus labor to mine the dust, as it is too dangerous to risk human life". "I see" said Garen "but when will we get more jobs in Conway? Our people are broke and looking for work, they are starving in the streets. It is my duty to help them in this time of crisis, but I can't do that without you". "In due time, Garen be patient" he got up "good day Garen". When the ambassador left Garen slammed his arm on the table in frustration. Garen is quite young, probably around his mid-twenties. Despite the long standing Vale occupation of Conway some of its culture still remained intact, as Garen like Viscount before him wore a suit of armor. It was mad of a flexible plastic based clothe invented in Vale that had the protection of actual leather armor, but not the bulk and uncomfortable feeling. As the man who just left said Vale and the rest of the world were in an economic crisis, they were scrambling to create new jobs and repair their infrastructure. But Garen knew painfully all too well that even when Vale gets back up, they won't exactly be rushing to do the same with Conway. Garen like those who sat in this seat before him hated Vale and those who ruled it, he so longed to reach out beyond his walls and exact revenge for the embarrassment centuries ago. But he knew that he had to wait, before his passing his father told him that one day Conway will set itself free; but Garen may not see it in his lifetime. Garen's phone shook as a message had reached it, the number was blocked but his eyes went wide when he saw the message. "The Hand is now a fist" it said. Garen understood the message and went down stairs. He went into the basement and entered his private workshop. He pulled a shelf away to reveal that it was in fact a secret door. He closed it carefully behind him and walked down the barely lit hall. He passed by a pair of guards, but they were dressed differently than your average Royal Guard. Their armor was stark black and covering their faces were white masks decorated with crimson red patterns. He passed them by and entered a yellow tram which carried him towards the most secretive place in Conway; The Vault.

The Vault had grown in size since Allisont had built it, while there were still home apartments built in most of the space had been taken up by small labs and factories. The majority of the people living there were Faunus descendants of those who were saved when Vale conquered Conway. People were exiting more trams and entering the Vault as well, all were wearing the same style of masks that the guards were wearing earlier, along with arm bands decorated with the Midnight Hand's insignia. It was a white fist emerging from a black planet with a silver moon behind it. They removed the masks on entering, no longer needing to hide their identities. The Vault was still the base of operations for The Midnight Hands, a secret society in Conway dedicated to the eventual revenge they would exact upon Vale. Here is where they hide top secret research for weapons projects, special training for operatives, and housed the resident Faunus population in secret. Membership included brilliant scientists, skilled soldiers, engineers, and even high class political figures in Conway. Garen noticed many of the people around seemed rushed and stressed, as if something important was happening. Garen looked around for the person in charge, and then he found her. Lindsay was working on a tablet and talking to some high ranking people. "Wait until I get the okay" she said to them "than the operation will be approved for activation". The group dispersed and Garen approached her. "Busy I see?" he said. "Well orchestrating plans for a revolution is quite time consuming" she said "people to talk to, plans to approve, tech to build, and the list goes on". "How about a hug for you partner in crime?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and stomached a hug, the embrace quickly broke. "We need some privacy" she said "come on". Lindsay brought Garen into a room alone and locked the door. "What is the message about?" he asked "you know what that code means right"? "I do know what that means" she said "we made a breakthrough". "What do you mean?" Garen asked. "Our spies have informed us that due to the economic depression in Vale weapons development has gone to a halt" she said "since our development isn't bound to the economy, our research is unhindered. We have done the math, we are capable of matching Vale. We may have even surpassed them". "But the fabrication time" he said "do we have enough weapons"? "The assembly down here is faster than you think" she said "in the last week we have gone nonstop in weapons fabrication; we have enough guns to outfit more than half our standing military". "But carrying out any plan could provoke a war" he said "how can we defend the city"? "We have built new wall guns and if you take into account how long it will take them to get here in the dead of winter they can be put up in time" she said "the garrisons of Vale soldiers within Conway can be dealt with easily. And I can guarantee you and conscripted Conway soldier in the Vale army would openly refuse to fight their home". "You do remember the whole reason for this" said Garen "the true purpose Allisont intended for this place". "Our spies in Vale have set up a network with many of the "help" around Vale" she said "when they receive the signal they will have five days to get ready to go, and warn the others. We may not get all of them but, enough will be free; including the Conway families still trapped in Vale". "And you planned all of this without me?" he said. "You were busy working in their faces" she said "my job was to take care of everything in the shadows. The plans are made and are possible, I just need to plan out when to start". "Now" he said. "What?" she said "but we need more time". "We don't have more time" he said "I just gave some mining company to start excavations here" he said "in THIS MOUNTAIN"! "Why would you do that?" she asked. "What was I supposed to say?" he said "every mountain but that one? It would have been suspicious". "I see your point" she said "this place must be kept a secret and if they get any idea of what we have here; they will kill us all. Well your lucky I plan for everything, looks like plan B is going into activation". "Plan B?" he said "what is Plan B"? "Come here before three o clock tomorrow" she said "I need to drop a line to our operatives in Vale". "Fair enough" said Garen "and good luck". "At this point" she said "I need all the luck I can get". The two split up and Lindsay walked into another room, it was filled with operators, computers, and agents. "Attention everyone!" she said. Everyone stopped and hung on her word. "I just spoke with Garen and this is now an emergency situation" she said "notify every agent both here and in the field that we have moved on to Plan B, now get to work we got to make this happen"! Everyone began to rush to their stations and Lindsay made her way to a man at a table, all that was on it was a straight key hooked up to a radio. "Should I send the signal miss?" he asked. "Send them a warning" she said "hopefully they have enough time". The man sat at the table and sent the code over the radio, the signal was one way and sent all the way to Vale. Agents sat around a cruddy wooden table in Vale. When the agents received the message they destroyed the radio as instructed and donned their black cloaks and white and red masks and struck out into the night. The trio stuck to the shadows until they arrived at their destination, a long abandoned clock tower. The only inhabitants were squatters and the poor, all were given some pretty hefty bills and sent on their way. They went to the top floor and filled the whole area with vials of fire dust, and a timed charge was placed on the floor. Once they set the timer they made their escape back into the streets and vanished with the darkness, the city was about to have quite a rude awakening. The charge exploded and set off the vials of dust; the whole top floor went up like a large torch. People in their houses woke up screaming at the sight of the burning tower, as it was tall enough to be seen far and wide. While the fire burned that night many wondered why the tower erupted in flames, while the only ones privy to the information began to prepare for the day they had all hoped to come.

Garen was overseeing the new influx of workers for the new mine agreed upon yesterday. The Schnee Dust Company didn't bring Faunus laborers in the expected tens, but in the hundreds. "We use quite a bit of dangerous equipment in our operations" said a supervisor "too dangerous to risk human lives, and the activity itself is also dangerous. So most of the work and labor is handled by the Faunus while we have humans in leadership positions". "It just seems the large work force is problematic to maintain" said Castleton "many of these Faunus are pretty fit, don't you worry about any strikes or uprisings". "We have systems in place to control the Faunus" he said "these controls can be a subtle as nutrition control, to something a little more physical. Feel free to take a look around, take a look at how this place runs". The supervisor left and all of the sudden Garen had an idea, he made his way to the housing complex where the Faunus workers resided. "Sorry sir" a guard stopped him "no humans beyond this point". "I am Viscount Garen" he said "I can go anywhere I want; it is in my good will that you can even set up here". "Sorry your highness" he said "go right on in, but some those animals in there have teeth". "Noted" Garen pushed the guard aside and went in. The conditions were deplorable, the ground was stained with waste and blood and the stench of filth filled the air. The camp was separated into two sections, one for men and the other for women. Garen had found himself in the men's section and searched for anyone of use, he found a group standing around a table and made his way over. He hadn't even introduced himself and his reception was cold as bone, they clearly did not trust humans. "Which one of you would say they are the strongest among you?" he asked. One man barely stepped forward, as if he was afraid of punishment. "A word please" Garen pulled the man aside. The man was still clearly shaken, even when the two were alone. "Do you know who I am?" Garen asked him. "No sir" he said immediately "should I"? "I am Garen Conway" he said "and drop your guard, I am your friend here. I want to help". "Help us?" he asked "but you brought us here". "I know you do not trust me" he said "but listen, do exactly as I say. Tell all those you can trust to not go outside tonight, no matter what you hear. Do you understand"? The man had just been told the news of his life "yes sir, I understand". "Good man" Garen patted him on the shoulder "now you have work to do". The man ran off and Garen made his way out, but was stopped by guard. "Excuse me sir?" he asked "may I ask what that was about"? "Just admiring the stock" Garen put some bills in the guard's front pouch "get some drinks with your mates tonight, you have all earned yourselves a little treat". Garen left the guard a few cents happier, and made his way to the secret rondevue.

The Vault was abuzz with people, but the atmosphere was quite different. There were soldiers masked in white masks and black robes all over, grabbing weapons Garen had never seen before. They were all separated into different groups, each with their own goals. In the commotion Garen found Lindsay putting on some sort of exoskeleton. "So this is plan B then?" he asked. "This is stage one" she said "tomorrow night is stage two". "So what is the plan?" he asked "we can't do anything until the Vale garrisons within the city are taken care of". "That is the plan for tonight" she said "now I believe it is time for a briefing". Lindsay stepped up to the podium and the Vault fell silent. "Good evening Midnight Hands" she said "for far too long we have waited in the shadows for our chance to become free, and that time has come at last"! The crowd erupted in cheers, until Lindsay beckoned them for silence. "We only get one chance at this" she said "and the plans must be carried out with absolute perfection, but you are Conway's best and brightest; the cream of the crop. And that is why I have faith. I am not gonna lie, if we fail; Conway will be no more. Vale will reduce us to ashes and we shall be forever lost to the world, but anything is better than these shackles. Some of you are descendants, your ancestors came to Conway in search of freedom and we provided it. Now you will return to the place that enslaved your kind but not as slaves, but as liberators. But I know my words alone will not fill you with hope, but I know who will". The screen above the podium flickered to life and Argon's face flickered on. "Hello Midnight Hands I am Count Argon" he said "if you are seeing this, then the time has finally come. You are now ready to fight for your freedom. I don't know with what weapon you will be fighting this war with, but I know what is at stake. This will be our one and only chance for freedom, you cannot fail. Allisont created this place so that Conway would have its chance to be a kingdom again, this is your chance. From the grave I salute each and every one of you, and may the light guide your hands". The video flickered out and the Vault was silent, Lindsay spoke again. "Okay hands this is the plan" she said "I had sent a team out earlier, their objective by nightfall are to shut down the satellite communications that go from Conway to Vale. Once the sun goes down a virus will shroud Conway in the dark and the garrisons will be unable to communicate with Vale. We will have three hours until communications come back on, so we have to get rid of all of them so they cannot get the word out. We will all split up into teams, many of them will be hitting the garrisons. A single separate team will be in charge of emancipation, their job is to shut down the Schnee mine and kill all of their guards and employees. They are also in charge of freeing the Faunus being held there, but try to keep the facility intact as much as possible. I know this may seem a little harsh but, under no circumstances are you allowed to take any prisoners; this operation needs to stay as secret as possible. Group up back here after you have completed your objectives and we can begin briefing for phase two. Let's move people"!

Dusk had fallen and Conway was enveloped in a snowy darkness, Garen waited with a group of around thirty Hands for the signal. His was the group tasked with emancipating the Faunus at the Schnee mining site, all of whom were masked and shrouded. They hid among the various alleys and dark corners around the complex. "This is Prophet to all Hands" he said over the radio "sound off and wait for the signal". Several beeps echoed across the radio as each Hand signaled back. Garen waited in darkness and watched the facility from afar. The snow had driven most of the guards inside, and those inside were laughing and singing; a sign that Garen's money went well invested into rendering the opposition intoxicated and useless. Three beeps rang out across all coms, the city's out going communications went dead. Garen didn't say a word and his unit began to move on the complex, still sticking to the shadows. Garen had split up the unit into smaller groups to cover more ground, his group's entry point was the front gate. Three guards were at the gate, Garen signaled his squad with a beep to hold position. Garen drew his weapon, a small sword with a carbine rifle built in. He leveled the barrel at one of the guards, he seemed to be shaking in his boots due to the cold. Garen waited a few seconds to give the others time to aim, and he fired. One guard dropped, the others barely blinked before they fell as well. The squad moved forward to the gate and Garen took a key card from one of the fallen troopers and used it to open the gate. They walked through the camp in silence until they reached a guard tower. Garen climbed the ladder until he reached the top. A guard was looking over the Faunus encampment while smoking a cigarette. Garen silently creeped up on the guard and readied his blade, his blade plunged through his chest while his hand muffled his screams. When the guard finally fell silent he set the body down and looked over the area. He saw other squad making quick work of any opposition and as far as he could tell, no alarms were raised. He saw one squad moving into the Faunus compound to secure it, to make sure none of the guards got any ideas. Once he had seen enough he made his way down the ladder and rejoined his squad. His squad mates nodded in agreement and moved onto their next objective, the barracks. His squad and a few others surrounded the building, drunken soldiers and officers were inside singing and chanting. Garen took point at the door and had his troops took point at the other doors and got ready. Garen busted down the door and the others breached the doors as well with weapons drawn. The drunken soldiers did not react in time and were shot to pieces. "Are we clear?" Garen asked over the radio. "All troops have been terminated" said another soldier over the radio "we are ready to move on the overseer's quarters". "I will go in alone" said Garen "I have something special planned for him".

Morning came and the Faunus emerged from their barracks on schedule, and were shocked by what they saw. Every guard had vanished, and Garen and a few soldiers stood in the yard in front of them with weapons holstered. The Faunus from the other day stepped forward, recognizing him. "You are the man from yesterday?" he said "you killed them all"? "Not a single guard left standing" said Garen. "This is clearly a trap!" somebody called out "why would a human help us"? "It is true that I am human" said Garen "but we are not so different. Conways are enslaved among your brother's and sisters in the kingdom of Vale. As Viscount it is my responsibility to help free my countrymen, and I ask for your help". "Your cause is for the benefit of humans" said the Faunus. "Not true in the slightest" said Garen "I plan to free thousands of Conway and Faunus slaves tonight and bring them here to live the rest of their live in equality within our walls. This is why I ask that whomever of you are able should join me as we storm Vale to free our brothers and sisters who are bound in chains. I have agents in Vale, but I need as many people who know the city as possible. I know what I am asking you to do may seem impossible, but we have a plan to save as many slaves as possible. Those among you who will join me; please step forward". There was a moment of silence, but many Faunus stepped forward. Garen was taken back by the number of those who would support him, and it made him proud that he could finally realize Allisont's vision. "For those of you who want to stay behind, you may do so" said Garen "you are guaranteed citizenship and will be treated as equals, but for all of you I have one final gift". The soldiers behind Garen parted to reveal the overseer, bound in ropes. "This man is your former oppressor" said Garen "you may do what you wish with him. After an hour passes soldiers will arrive to take you where you need to go". Garen and his entourage left the camp, and the former slaves began to circle their former master.

The scene opens on a Schnee factory in Vale, this is one of the many plants where raw dust is refined into useful propellants. We see two technicians in a flight tower waiting for the shipment. It is now night time and the Factory is expecting a late shipment of Dust from Conway. "Did you hear?" said a technician "all of the comms from Conway were shut off last night". "Were we able to check up on them this morning?" said another. "Yeah" he responded "just a malfunction at the comms station, the dust shipments should be arriving at all the factories in Vale later than expected, but they should be here any minute now". "Good" said the technician "we can get the factory rolling again". "This is M-18" said somebody of the comms we are here with the shipment". One tech sat down and got on the radio "this is control to M-18, can we have your landing code". "Absolutely" the transport replied "just give me a second". There was a ton of interference on the radio, and static buzzed through every intercom in the factory. It was then silent until one phrase was uttered through every intercom "Death to tyrants"! Alarms began to sound all over the factory as the Faunus workers began rioting. The transport ship landed and Conway soldiers emptied out and opened fire on the Schnee personnel. Once the smoke cleared Garen and Lindsay exited the transport. "Secure the other transports and get them ready" said Lindsay "make sure they are ready for the escaping Faunus". "Are we sure the broadcast got out?" Garen asked. "That message played over every intercom in Vale" said Lindsay "if everything went according to plan, every Faunus and Conway in the city is rioting and is on their way to the factories to get picked up". A person wearing a Midnight Hand mask made their way over the Viscount. "I'm here to report in" he said "we and the other agents have notified every Faunus in Vale, along with any Conway ancestor we could find. We also have agents disrupting the response". "Good work agent" said Lindsay "once we pull out, I promise the reactivation of Operation Underground. We will get you out of here, along with anybody left behind". "Thank you madam" he said "but one quick thing, that I think you would like to see". "Lead the way" said Lindsay. Garen and Lindsay followed the agent out of the factory grounds to a square just outside. In the center there sat a bronze statue atop a marble base. From a distance, it looked like a man standing on a rock with Vale's flag in his hand plunging into the ground. "It's General Winchester" said Lindsay "he was the one who executed Allisont during the war. They built a statue of him". "It's a spit right in our face" said Garen. "Look closer" said the agent. The two got closer and saw the plaque on the base, the text read "In commemoration of General Winchester's grand victory over the hatful savages of Conway. And the restoration of order within Vale and her new territories". "We are not savages" said Garen "all we wanted was equality. For us and the Faunus". Lindsay looked up at the statue, and saw who laid under Winchester's boots. Viscount Allisont laid dead under Wincher's boot. "I need explosives" said Lindsay. "Got you covered" said the agent, handing over a box of C4. Lindsay and Garen placed the explosives all over the statue. Lindsay held the detonator in her hand, and didn't even blink when she pushed the button. The statue was nothing but rubble, and would not be missed. "Death to tyrants" said Garen "good riddance to that golden shit". "Come on" said Lindsay "we have been too long".

It was the next day and the operation went off without a hitch. Only a few soldiers didn't return, but the hundreds of thousands of slave freed made it all worth it. Garen and Lindsay were working in the Viscount office planning on how to house the Faunus and Conways they just freed. "We could place them in the old Schnee mining site" said Garen "the space is wide enough to be repurposed for a housing district". "Good idea" said Lindsay "if we do that then we can close up the mine, and prevent any chances of the Vault being discovered. I can have construction workers get down there and have the whole place transformed within six months". "We can get some of our new citizens involved with that as well" said Garen "we can employ them right away and they can start making a pay check". "Nice idea" said Lindsay "it only makes sense that they would want to have a hand in building their own future. But until the housing is done we keep them in some of the old air raid shelters, there should be plenty of room". "We also need to get them into schools right away" said Garen "we can build a new school in the new district as well". "I'll get the thing zoned" said Lindsay. "There is also one more thing we need to talk about" said Garen "about our little secret". "Keep it a secret" said Lindsay "it will only complicate things more with Vale, we still haven't heard any news". "Vale is too destitute to respond militarily" said Garen "you're just scared". "I am not scared of revealing myself" said Lindsay "I am scared because I don't know how to do the job". "Then I will help you" said Garen "mom and dad always said that nobody can survive as an island, we can do this together". "Once we get a response from Vale I will consider it" said Lindsay. Lindsay's phone began to ring. "Who is it?" Garen asked. "One of the engineers sent me a message" said Lindsay "I had a team fix the communication relay, as it was damaged during the other night's operation". "Let's go take a look than" said Garen.

The relay was an antenna installation down by the wall, it connected to Vale and in turn the rest of the kingdoms for communications purposes. The antenna had been repaired, with minimal effort. "What it the situation down here?" Lindsay asked. "The relay is up and running" said an engineer "we were even able to fix the terminal in the governor's office that he used to communicate with the Vale government". "Is everything turned on yet?" Garen asked. "We wanted to wait for your word" he replied "the switch is in the governor's office, and you two may have the honor". The engineer lead them down to the office and shut the door behind Garen and Lindsay, the two were alone. "You can have the honors" said Garen. Lindsay saw a breaker next to the door and flipped all the switches to on and returned power to the facility. The Governor's computer turned on and revealed that there were several calls made last night, likely during the operation. "Let's get this over with" said Lindsay. "What?" said Garen "are you going to call them"? "I am not going to wait until they make the first move" said Lindsay "if we are going to do this, it is going to be on our terms". Lindsay clicked one of the messages and hit reply, a video chat activated. "They aren't going to pick up" said Garen. All of the sudden computer began notify them that they were being connected through, somebody decided to answer. The window revealed the face of Councilor Anderson, one of Vales political leaders. "Wait a second" he said "where is the governor"? "Six feet under" said Garen. "I am Lindsay Conway" said Lindsay "and I am here to make my demands". "We are not taking any demands right now" he replied "the council needs to convene to discuss anything". "You're in no position to be waiting" said Lindsay "as of last night I proved I can strike anytime I want into your pitiful kingdom. I can do it again and free even more of your slaves, and I am pretty sure your economy can't give me a real response. Plus you are one of the two lead councilors and a leader of the party majority, your word is law". "You made your point" he replied "but make no mistake nobody in Vale is crazy enough to grant you autonomy". "Noted" said Lindsay "make sure you write this down. One, we want to form and independent military. Two, every slave of Conway decent in Vale are to be sent back to where they belong. Three, we want Conway citizenship available that is entirely separate from Vale citizenship. Four, the freed Faunus in Conway remain free and Vale is forbidden from coming here and retaking them. Five, we want our old system of royal succession to be reinstated. As long as a child is born with the Titan Mark they will become Viscount, regardless of race or gender. And lastly, no foreign garrisons of troops are allowed to be deployed here without the Viscount's permission. Get all that"? "This is insanity!" said Anderson "nobody in the right mind will let this pass"! "Make it happen!" said Lindsay "or else there will be more attacks". Lindsay disconnected from the call, her blood still boiling.

"What happened next professor?" your neighbor asked. "Something that goes down history as a miracle" he replied "the Vale government accepted every demand Lindsay gave them, and later that month the agreement was signed by Lindsay and Anderson, making it law. You think your professor mixed something up and raise your hand, you ask him why Lindsay signed the agreement when Garen was Viscount at the time. "Thanks for calling me out there" he replied "once the laws of succession were reinstated, Lindsay ascended to the title of Viscount. This is because it was her that was born with the Titan Mark, not Garen". "What is the Titan Mark?" another student asked. "The Titan Mark is the royal semblance" he replied "those who are born with it are destined for the throne. This semblance gives our Viscounts the ability to make themselves as strong, as durable, and as heavy as a mountain. Making them near unstoppable when proficient with it". "What about the rest of the Faunus slaves?" somebody else asked "didn't the Midnight Hand want to free them"? "They did" the professor replied "through operation Underground thousands more Faunus were able to escape in secret. At least that was until Lindsay shut the Midnight Hand down". "But professor?" somebody asked "the politicians in Vale always talk about how the Midnight Hand is going the murder them all, are they lying"? "Yes, they are lying" he replied "and besides, the Midnight Hands were not terrorists in the slightest, and no longer exists today. Now that is all the time we have, make sure to study for tomorrows test.


End file.
